Adversity & Resilience: Gardens & Yards

The King's Silver Jubilee publication of 1935 noted the following.

Private Gardens
During the past 15 or 20 years, a very large number of private gardens have come into existence in the City and suburbs, in the suburbs chiefly on account of the extension of the water service to these places. Citizens can do much to improve the City and suburbs by having attractive frontages to their homes. unsightly fences may be improved by covering them with creepers or climber. Bignonia Venusta, Bignonia Lindleyana, or Bignonia Tweediana, are all useful for this purpose. Climbing roses would also be suitable. The common honeysuckle is another suitable plant. Another plan would be to plant a hedge of bougainvillea or acalypha marginata, or hibiscus - any of these would be useful and ornamental.

Planning a Garden
In planning a garden care should be taken to arrange it so that the maintenance will be economical and inexpensive. Too much fancy work is bad in a garden and causes unnecessary work. It is a good thing to remember that "Beauty needs no adornment."

The Bungalow Garden
Garden competitions continued in the 1920s and 1930s, strengthening pride in the city and providing a form of recreation and entertainment. Regular articles in the Queensland Times by 'Florilege' provided tips for the home gardener such as planting for weather conditions, types of plants and how to prune roses. Rose growing tended to dominate garden designs of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Old bush roses tended to be abandoned in favour of the Tea Rose and it was not uncommon for Tea Roses to dominate the whole front garden perhaps with one or two larger trees and selected shrubs near the fence lines. In 1938, householders could apply to the council for permission to plant gardens in the footpath.

Rock Gardens
Designs for rock gardens and garden walls was  featured in the Queensland Times on 15 May 1937. Four designs were provided for a rock garden, a flower basket, a garden wall and a garden wall seat. The message was that rocks in "need not go to waste": They can be used to make attractive rock gardens and garden walls either at home or at school.

School Gardens
The Queensland Times ran a School Garden competition in the 1930s. Teachers were allowed to direct and assist the students in their endeavours. Other adults were allowed to provide advice on garden layouts planting and cultivation but they were not allowed to provide other assistance.

Floral Emblem
In 1930, the Council called for suggestions for a floral emblem for the City. The Queensland Times published the result of nominations for the ten most popular plants or trees in Ipswich. They were bougainvillea, hibiscus, bauhinia, bottle brush, franciscea, lagerstroemia, flame tree, oleander, rose and jacaranda. The bougainvillea was the floral emblem for Ipswich until 1996, when the Plunkett Mallee (Eucalyptus Curtisii) was adopted as the City’s floral emblem.